If You Love Me, Then Act Like It!

The first time the Lord said to me "If you love me, then act like it" was back in the mid 90's.  I was a baby Christian. I would play softball and then go to the bar with the girls after the game.  I didn't drink anything harder than a diet coke.  One night I left the bar, got in my car and smiled at the air freshener hanging from my rearview mirror that said "I Love Jesus".  That was when the Lord said to me "Then act like it."  Needless to say, I never went to that bar again.

A couple of weeks ago, I was offended by something George had said and I decided I'd dig my heals in until he figured out how to treat me.  After a couple of days of my nonsense, the Lord said to me "If you love me, then act like it!"  Enough said.

Knowing that George's love language is "Acts of Service", I began going out of my way to do special things for him.  I made him some muffins; prepared nice meals; made sure the house was in order and all the clothes put away.  The whole time I'm still hurting from the prior incident and he's still acting offended so this was a tough one.

During this time, the Lord began to minister and reiterate what he said to me.  In John 21:15-17  He asked Peter three times if he loved him.  Each time Peter said yes and each time the Lord told him to feed/tend his sheep.  In other words, he said "If you love me, then act like it."

Again in John 14:15 The Lord said if you love me, keep my commandments -- act like it!

So we need to act like it when we go to work; when we go to church; when we go home;  everywhere we go.

So I asked the Lord "How is that possible?"

He took me to Matthew 22:37-39 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind & in Luke 10:27 he says with all your strength – with everything that is within you!  That cracked me up.  I've read that scripture a hundred times.  It wasn't until that moment that I saw that it's a prerequisite to the second command– You shall love your neighbor as yourself -- as that is the only way we'll love like we should --If we put all our efforts in loving the Lord, it will flow over into all our othe relationships.

In John 14:21;23-24; 15:9-17 we see:

• Love is a command
• Love is a choice vs 23-24 - he doesn't say if you "can" - he says "he who loves" or "he who does not love"
• Jesus is our friend because he laid down his life; we’re his friend because we do what he commands.  Love requires dying to self and listening vs 13-14

In 1John 3:11, 16-23 we see:

• The command to Love is not a new thing v11
• Love is an action not just words v18
• Love gives us confidence towards God – we’re in good standing v21
• We love because it’s pleasing to God. v22

Without love we see in 1Corinthians 13:1-3;

• We're obnoxious
• We’re nothing
• We gain nothing

With Love we see in 1John 4:7

• We know God v7
• We See God v12
• We have boldness in the day of judgment v17
• We overcomes the world v5:4

So in a nut shell.  We don't love because it feels good or because the person deserves it, but because God deserves it.  

Oh and by the way, when I was obedient to God, He took care of the tiff between George and I.  Funny how that works--when we walk Godly, God shows up:)